12 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

I would not recommend this book for preteens. I found the content inappropriate for a middle school student. Premarital sex, drugs and alcohol - all just "normal" parts of life in this book. I'd prefer for my child to read about positive characters, not back-stabbing and cheating.

Reed Brennan is nervous as she begins her sophomore year as a transfer student at prestigious Easton Academy. All of the other students are richer than she could ever believe, and she immediately finds that she's in way over her head academically. She determines that she'll do anything to keep from flunking out and going back to her dreary home. Reed aspires to be just like the beautiful and brilliant girls who live in the luxurious Billings dorm, but she has little hope of ever being accepted into that elite crowd. Somehow, though, she edges in and barely notices their cruelty because she's so grateful to be tossed the crumbs of their kindness. Although her experiences could have resulted in nine months of insight, the teen doesn't seem to make much progress in understanding herself or the larger world around her. The story has major gaps in plot development and background. Too many elements are left hanging or unexplained, such as why Reed can't empathize at all with her mother's pain-killer addiction following a long-ago accident, her lack of a relationship with her brother, her oddly unemotional loss of virginity, and any sort of character development in the Billings girls.

A new series emerges out of a world already full of Gossip Girls, A-lists, and Cliques. Sophomore Reed Brennan has been accepted into the prestigious Easton Academy on scholarship. Getting out of her depressing hometown and her emotionally abusive mother's grasp is liberating for Reed, but it is not too long before she once again feels like retreating into her usual antisocial loner shell. The only bright spot in her life is the bad boy Thomas Pearsonâtotally wrong but dangerously attractive and attentive to her.

Then she meets the Billings girls. They are beautiful, brilliant, and the bestâ¦and there are only four of them who really matter: Noelle, Ariana, Kiran, and Taylor. Reed thinks that she'll be set if she can only become one of them, and so takes every opportunity to suck up to them. Sure, some of the things they make her do, such as stealing a test, make her think twice, but Reed knows that without the Billings girls, she'd simply be another sophomore nobody at Easton.

However, the Billings girls and Thomas don't get along. In the meantime, Thomas has secrets of his own, too, and Reed fluctuates from desperately wanting to be part of the Billings girls to hating them for having a sickening power over everyone. Can Reed love Thomas, please the Billings girls, AND stay true to herself all at once? That seems like an impossible mountain to climb.

There is really nothing that has already been written in Private. Thomas is the stereotypical guy we hate to love, and Noelle is your average two-faced perfect villainess. There will certainly be room in this world for Private and its fans, though.

LOVED IT!! i was so intriuged that i couldn't put it down. i read it until late in the night and finished it during my break @ work. i did get a little annoyed in a few parts with Reed's attitude about Thomas and how he really just needs somebody. (PUH-LEASE)But that ended quickly enough. Overall a great read and i can't wait until I get the next one. would recomend to anybody.

If you didn't think the first one was the greatest book ever, just keep reading. There are a lot of surprising twists and turns in the last couple of books. It goes way beyond just the snobby boarding school book. It turns into a real mystery.

Reed's first glimpse at Easton Academy is enough to make her panic. What if she doesn't belong here? She's worked so hard to get into this school and get away from home, but is she good enough to even be here? She stumbles out of the car and bumps into a cute boy--and school suddenly looks slightly better. Not to mention that her determination kicks in.

However, nothing is easy at this new school. Work starts demanding attention and her advisor is watching closely for any indication that she might not be up to the Academy's standards. Reed's roommate talks all the time, and hanging with her could be social suicide. Then Reed meets the Billings Girls, and suddenly she wants to be one of them more than anything--but what is she willing to do to achieve that same social status?

Similar to THE IT GIRL novels, Kate Brian spins a fast-paced darker story where Reed is way over her head. The calculating Billings Girls leave you wanting to uncover their deep secrets. Now that Reed has made it into the popular and powerful crowd, where will INVITATION ONLY take her?

These books are great books for girls that love books about relationships and scandals and drama. I easily fell in love with the main character, Reed, and going through her journey at the rich boarding school, just trying to fit in.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 31, 2006
By TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private (Private, Book 1) (Paperback)
Reed's first glimpse at Easton Academy is enough to make her panic. What if she doesn't belong here? She's worked so hard to get into this school and get away from home, but is she good enough to even be here? She stumbles out of the car and bumps into a cute boy--and school suddenly looks slightly better. Not to mention that her determination kicks in.

However, nothing is easy at this new school. Work starts demanding attention and her advisor is watching closely for any indication that she might not be up to the Academy's standards. Reed's roommate talks all the time, and hanging with her could be social suicide. Then Reed meets the Billings Girls, and suddenly she wants to be one of them more than anything--but what is she willing to do to achieve that same social status?

Similar to the IT GIRL novels, Kate Brian spins a fast-paced darker story where Reed is way over her head. The calculating Billings Girls leave you wanting to uncover their deep secrets. Now that Reed has made it into the popular and powerful crowd, where will INVITATION ONLY take her?

I picked this up on a whim at Target. I admit, the cover caught my eye. Being 30 something, i'm still fascinated with teen lit. This was actually quite good. Very much along the lines of the "IT GIRL" more than anything else, but I can't wait for the next installment.